Essentials for New Recruiters: Partnering With Key Schools

The career centers at your organization’s key schools expect from the partnership a deeper relationship built on consistency, communication, and mutual consideration, says Christian Garcia, executive director of the University of Miami’s Toppel Career Center.

“This foundation,” Garcia explains, “helps career centers make sure we’re doing the best we can to meet our employers’ needs.”

How can new recruiters do their part to make this partnership work? Garcia offers several tips:

Go beyond the basics—Don’t just merely attend career fairs at your key schools. Employers with strong relationships with their key schools, for example, get together with career center staff before each semester to meet each other’s newly hired staff, give updates about their hiring plans, inquire about developments on campus and better ways to connect with top students, point out the campus activities that are helpful to them, and more. Developing camaraderie may seem frivolous, but it really does go a long way.

Participate in “soft recruiting” activities—Participate in activities that aren’t focused on recruiting, but can help the career center and boost your organization’s visibility and branding. These activities include resume critiques, mock interviews, etiquette dinners, case study competitions, and classroom presentations. Having direct contact with students in this capacity can also serve as fertile ground for growing relationships with eventual candidates.

Be flexible in your approach to your key schools—One of the biggest mistakes new recruiters make is treating every career center the same way. Just as every school is different, every career center is different, too. Take the time to get to know your key schools, their cultures, and the ways they prefer things to be done.